Ironing board equipment



June 26, 1951 J. E. FITPOLD IRONING BOARD EQUIPMENT 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 4, 1947 INVENTOR Joseph E. Fizfpold 1 BY @Q;W M* 9 AT ORNEYS J. E. FITPOLD IRONING BOARD EQUIPMENT June 26 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 4, 1947 INVENTOR Joseph E. Fiipolol June 26, 1951 J. E. FITPQLD IRONING BOARD EQUIPMENT 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IINVENTOR Joseph E. Fz

Filed Sept. 4, 1947 June 26, 1951 I FlTPOLD 2,558,350

IRONING BOARD EQUIPMENT Filed Sept. 4, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Joseph Fz'tpo ld TTQRNEYS June 26 1951 J. E. FITPOLD 2,558,350

IRONING BOARD EQUIPMENT Filed Sept. 4, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I INVENTOR l2 Joseph E. Fi fpozd TTORNEYS Patented June 26, 1951 IRONING BOARD EQUIPMENT Joseph E. Fitpold, Chicago, Ill., assignor to United States Hoffman Machinery Corporation, New

York, N. Y.

Application September 4, 1947, Serial No. 772,185

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to ironing board and stand for use with steam smoothing irons utilizing a standard type electric element for heating the iron and an extraneous steam supply which is led to the iron and sprayed through perforations in the sole of the iron on and into the fabric while steaming and pressing apparel.

In the past, in order to supply dry steam relatively free from entrained water of condensation to the iron, it has been customary to employ a standpipe extending from the laundry floor or ironing board to a point well above the latter for the purpose of supporting the steam and electric conduits above the head of the operator whereby considerable freedom of movement is afforded the operator as he moves the iron from point to point upon the board while treating a garment. Such arrangements usually include a steam separator located as near as convenient to the upper end of the standpipe; and the steam is controlled by a valve placed in the steam line between the separator and the iron, which valve may be operated by hand or by means of a connection with a foot treadle. While generally useful, such an arrangement is in some ways subject to serious objection. One such results from the fact that the long length of suspended hose necessary for freedom of movement does not adequately provide this advantage since portions of said hose freqently interfere with free movement of the iron and may even subject the operator to serious burns.

But a more serious objection is that the descending length of hose tends to operate contrary to the purpose for which the separator is supplied, for even though steam leaving the separator is satisfactorily dry, so much condensation occurs in the down drop of the hose, especially when the steam valve is intermittently opened and closed, that water runs down the hose and is delivered to the iron, and unless the electric element in the unit is operating efliciently at a relatively high heat level, water will be ejected through the sole plate of the iron with the steam, with the result that the garment being ironed may be badly spotted or even ruined.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide simple and eflicient means for supporting the steam hose so as to reduce to a minimum the danger of water entering the iron and,

.at the same time, provide greater freedom of movement of the iron during operation.

This object is attained by locating the steam separator slightly below the level of the ironing board, by encasing the electric cable and steam 2 hose within a flexible metal conduit and by providing a carriage or movable conduit support which travels freely along a guide rail mounted in close proximity to the ironing board at a level slightly below that of the board.

With the foregoing objects and others which may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be further referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an ironing board stand and operational equipment embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of same with the supporting standard indicated by broken lines;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the foot treadle in relation to a sectional portion of the standard base taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a right side view of the apparatus, with a cover plate removed and other parts shown broken away or in section;

Fig, 5 is in part a front elevation and in part a vertical section taken on line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a rear and left end perspective of the apparatus showing a smoothing iron in operative relation to the board and the rail and carriage for supporting the flexible conduit carrying steam and electricity from sources within the standard to the iron; and

Fig. 8 is a detail view of the carriage which supports the flexible conduit.

Referring to the drawings it will be seen that the apparatus comprises an ironing board [0 supported upon a standard comprising a base casting [2, a head casting I4 and a sheet metal column l6. As will hereinafter more clearly appear the standard contains and supports a steam separator ll within the column [6, and the base pivotally mounts at one end, as at I8 a foot treadle I 9, the outer end of which is pivotally mounted as at 2|] upon a floor stand 2|. The ironing board is secured to the head casting M, which has a longitudinal extension l5 by means of fiat headed machine screws 22. The head and base castings with the intervening column are held together by means of three tie-rods 24 and 25, which at the top and bottom respectively while a discharge pipe 34 located below the pipe 32 adjacent the bottom of the separator serves as a drain to lead water of condensation from the separator. Steam entering the separator through pipe 32 is led downwardly by means of a baflie 36 to the lower part of the interior of the separator and then passes upwardly for eventual entrance into a. dry steam space 38 within the upper lefthand side of the separator. This dry steam space has a lower wall 39 apertured and threaded to receive the lower end of a separator steam valve, generally indicated by the number 40.

' Within the lower end of the steam valve casing is located an upwardly facing valve seat 4| which cooperates with a valve head 42, the latter being adapted to lift away from the seat to permit the iiow of steam from the interior of the valve casing through ports 44 into the dry steam spacing 38, whence the steam passes by means of a fitting 46 to a needle valve 48 and thence by means of a rubber steam hose 49 to the steam space within the interior of any suitable smoothing iron 50. In Fig. 7, the iron is shown in operative relation to the ironing board In and connected by means of a flexible metal conduit 52 to a fitting 5| communicating with the interior of the column [6. Within the flexible conduit is carried not only the steam hose 49 but also a suitable electrical cable 53 comprising conductors which lead electricity for heating a heating element, not shown, within the iron 50 from a switch 54 mounted upon an instrument 'panel supported in a convenient position upon the 'front' face of the standard head casting l4.

The panel 55 also supports a pilot light 56 and a rotatable knob 51. The latter is connected by means of a valve stem 58 with the movable valve member within the needle valve casing 48. This needle valve is of standard type and serves as :a control valve operable by means of the knob 5'! to control the quantity of steam passing to the smoothing iron at such times as the separator valve 46 is opened for the passage of steam from the interior of the separator to the dry space therein and to the needle valve.

The separator valve 48 is also standard. Its valve head 42, supported at the lower end of a valve stem 69, is lifted from its seat to open the valve by steam pressure upon operation of the treadle l9. When the treadle is depressed a valve lever 6! is rocked out of contact with the valve stem 60, the said lever being always biased to close the valve by means of a spring 62. The treadle l9 rocks a treadle lever 63 to pull downwardly at the lower end of a. chain 64, the upper end of which is adjustably connected to an arm of the valve lever 6| by means or" an adjustment screw 65.

By'ireference to Fig. 7 it will be noted that the flexible conduit 52 is supported between its ends by means of a hose clamp 6-6 having swivel connection with a carriage Bl supported by means of rollers 68 upon the guide rail 9 in such a, way as to move freely parallel with the rear edge of 4 the ironing board at a level slightly below that of the board. The carriage 61, as shown in Fig. 8, comprises a strap'bent to provide short and long parallel side members 10 and H, a connecting top member 12, and an angularly disposed bottom member 13. The latter comprises the respectively obtusely and acutely bent lower end extensions of the said side members which overlap and provide registering threaded apertures for the reception of a shoulder screw 14. The supporting rollers 68, two in number, are substantially V-shaped and are rotatably mounted upon bolts passing through the opposite sides of the carriage strap and securely fastened therein. The hose supporting clamp 66 is of usual form and has a perforated base to rotatably receive the shoulder of the screw 14. In addition to being held together by the screw 14 the overlapping bottom parts of-the carriage are preferably secured by welding along the edges formed by the ends of the strap. The separated lower ends of the clamp 66 are drawn together in proper adjustment about the flexible conduit 52 by means of abolt I5. The rail 9 is supported at the right end of the head casting as seen in Fig. 1 or the left end as seen in Fig. '7 by means of two parallel extensions it which pass into cutaway'portions T! at the corners of the corresponding side of the head casting and are secured to the casting or lugs within the same by means of machine screws 18, as best seen in Fig. 5. At the rear side of the standard is a boss 19 apertured to receive the inner end of the rail branch which is threaded to receive the check nuts 81 more firmly to hold the rail in rigid position. At its outer end, as at 82, the rail is provided with any suitable stop member suflicently larger than the circumference of the rail to prevent the carriage from running off the end thereof.

When a garment of considerable size'is positioned upon the board for ironing, portions or such garment which need support other than the board are arranged to rest upon an apron 83'.

r This apron comprises a U-shaped tubular frame 84 connected at the center of the base of the U by means of a stem piece 85 with a T fitting 85. The run of the T is reamed to closely fit upon the tie rod 25, see Figs. 5 and 7. 'The fit is loose enough to permit movement of the T up and down upon the tie rod 25 to adjust the height of the said apron, but tight enough so that the weight of the extended portion of the apron with that of any garment supported thereby will be sufficient to cause the T to grip the rod 25 and prevent its sliding down the rod. The outer parallel ends of the U-shaped tubing member 84 are connected together as by means of a U-shaped rod 31, the legs of which are received with suit able tightness within the outer ends of the tubu lar frame members 84. The apron frame is provided with a covering of any suitable fabric material, such as ironing cloth, as indicated at 88 in Fig. 7. l A vertical slot 89 formed in a side sheet of the column [6 permits vertical adjustment of the garment support or apron 83. g

A large opening 90 is provided to giveaccess to the various mechanisms located within the column 16, which opening is normally closed'by a suitable cover plate SI. H Referring to' the general arrangement and com bination of parts of the ironing board and stand certain of the features hereinbefore described W ll be seen to attain the objects above set forth and present many additional advantages. The location of the steam separator within the standard below the ironing board provides for closer connection to the steam supply and condensation return and also adds to the comfort of the operator as direct heat radiation from the separator is considerably reduced. This arrangement of the separator also brings the separator valve operating mechanism in closer proximity to the foot treadle and simplifies the connecting mechanisms. The enclosing of the steam hose and electric cord throughout their lengths from the standard to the smoothing iron in a flexible metal conduit cuts down the wear and tear upon said members and eliminates any chance of kinking the same. The support of the flexible conduit in a carriage mounted to ride on a rail to the rear of the board and at a level below the board permits of great freedom of movement of the iron with relatively short connecting hose and cord, and the conduit further facilitates support by the carriage by means of a simple and inexpensive swiveling hose clamp. And it should be noted that whatever condensation may occur within the steam hose tends during the operation of the iron to drain away from the iron and into the separator.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In ironing apparatus of the character wherein fabric or the like may be steamed and pressed, the combination of, an ironing board presenting a horizontally disposed surface for the fabric or the like which is adapted to support a smoothing iron for relative movement therealong, a vertically extending standard providing support for said ironing board and extending downwardly therefrom, a horizontal guide rail rigidly mounted on said standard at a level below that of said ironing board and including means presenting a horizontal guide surface spaced from and parallel to the edge of said ironing board, means constituting a source of dry steam located within said standard and having a steam outlet disposed at a level below the level of said guide rail, a flexible conduit connected with said steam outlet and adapted to supply steam to an iron on said ironing board, and a supporting carriage freely slidable along said guide surface and supported by said guide rail and attached to an intermediate the combination of, an ironing board having a rear edge and presenting a horizontally disposed surface for the fabric or the like which is adapted to support a smoothing iron for relative movement therealong, a vertically extending standard providin support for said ironing board and extending downwardly therefrom, a horizontal guide rail rigidly mounted on said standard at a level below that of said ironing board and including means presenting a horizontal guide surface spaced from and parallel to the rear edge of said ironing board, means constituting a source of dry steam located within said standard and having a steam outlet disposed at a level belowthe level of said guide rail, a flexible conduit connected with said steam outlet and adapted to supply steam to an iron on said ironing board, a smoothing iron attached to said conduit and adapted to rest on said ironing board, and a supporting carriage freely slidable along said guide surface and supported by said guide rail and attached to an intermediate portion of said conduit to provide support for said conduit at a level below that of said ironing board.

JOSEPH E. FITPOLD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,120,340 Rear June 14, 1938 2,205,241 Clark June 18, 1940 2,247,438 Gorton July 1, 1941 2,363,956 Glover Nov. 28, 1944 

